She studied both books, then returned her attention to him. “I’ve had an orgasm, Dad.”

He took a step back and tried not to wince. “Could we not talk about that?”

“I’m just saying we’re figuring it out together. Guys are so easy. It’s not really fair. You barely touch them and they—” She waved her hand. “You know. But it’s harder for girls.”

Where was that bolt of lightning when he needed it? “That’s why I bought you the books. So you could read about different things.” He waved his hand. “It’s all in there.”

Lissa scrambled to her feet, raced toward him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “You’re the best dad ever.”

“This is not my favorite part.”

“I know, but you did it anyway.” She looked up at him. “Thank you.”

She was so beautiful, he thought, brushing the hair out of her face. “I love you, little girl.”

“I love you, too. Now what’s going on with Ellen? You can’t still be mad at her about the trip.”

“I’m not.”

“Then why are you grumpy?”

“She’s a difficult woman.”

Lissa stepped back. “That’s not the reason. You should marry her.”

Keith sagged against the doorframe. “Yeah, well, I don’t see that happening. I broke things off with her.”

“What?” she yelped. “Why? You’re crazy about her.”

“It’s complicated.”

Lissa’s expression softened. “Dad, she’s totally into you. We can all see it. Maybe she’s just scared.”

He wanted it to be that easy. That she just had to overcome a few fears, but he knew it was more than that. Ellen wanted to play. She’d just come into her own and now she was ready to experiment with a lot of different men. His head understood but his heart wanted to claim her as his own. He didn’t want to share Ellen and he couldn’t play when his feelings were so real.

“It’s not going to work out,” he said at last.

Lissa hugged him again. “She’ll come around. You’ll see.”

He had his doubts. He’d laid it on the line for Ellen and she’d not only let him walk away, he hadn’t heard from her in days. As signs went, that was a damned clear one.

Serena was a beautiful redhead with more curves than should be legal and a warm, nurturing personality that should have been exactly what Thaddeus was looking for. She was in her early thirties and a partner in a local cupcake company. They’d met two weeks ago at a charity luncheon and this was their second date.

“Two years in, he said he’d changed his mind about having kids,” Serena said in answer to Thaddeus’s question about what had ended her first marriage. “I was blindsided by the information. We’d always talked about having a family. Kids are a priority for me. We tried counseling, but he was firm in his decision and that was the end of things.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, thinking the fact that she wanted children was a plus.